Cleaning device



v 1,636,002 July 19, 1927. KENT CLEANING DEVICE Fil L 11, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 O Swuentoz M/ILLI/IM J. KENT July 19,1927. w. JKENT CLEANING DEVICE Filed Oct. 11, 1923 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 19, 1927.

UNITED STATES 1,636,002 PATENTIOFFICE.

WILLIAM J. KENT, or BROOKLYN, NEW roan, assreuon TO mm MECHANICAL Run- BER COMPANY, or onrcaeo, ILLINOIS, A conronn'rxon on NEW JERSEY;

CLEANING DEVICE;

Application filed October 11, 1923. Serial No. 668,032.

This invention relates to cleaning devices and more particularly to a device for cleaning the platens of vulcanizing presses and similar objects. i

Referring to the drawings forming a part of this specification, 7 y

.Fig. 1 is a plan view of the device;

. Fig. 2 is a central sectional elevation taken through the plane 22 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of one type of cleaner;

.Fig. 4 is a fragmcntai elevation showing another type of cleaner; and e Fig. 5 is a :tragmental sectional elevation showing still another type of. cleaner.

lVhile the cleaning device maybe found useful in cleaning various objects it is primarily intended for cleaning the platens of presses used in vulcanizing rubber goods'of various kinds as for instance belting hose and packing. A very hard scale produced by thearticles being vulcanized, forms on the surfaces of both platens of the press which is very difficult to remove. These platens are in some cases as large as feet by 5 feet andas it is essential that. the surfaces of the platens be ke t clean in order to produce high grade rub 1' products much I time is required and expense incurred in removing this scale. I'Ieretofore it has been necessary to allow the press to cool after a vulcanizing heat or cure. The platens are opened sullieiently far apart'to permit workingmen to enter after the press has cooled and with knives and scrapers to remove the scale that has formed uponthe platens. This 7 ditfieult task has been done'heretofore entirely by hand in this way and the greatest dif-, ficulty is experienced in, the cleaning of the upper platen, for here the working-men must lie upon their backsupon the lower platen and in this uncomfortable position scrape the entire surface of the upper platen until it is clean and smooth, the scale and dust falling down upon them and entering theireyes and mouths. It requires abouttwelve hours for the large size presses to sufficiently cool to permit them to be cleaned by the old method I and after they have sufiiciently cooled it requires two men about one day to satisfactorily clean the platens. After the press has been cleaned it requires about an hourto reheat it to the correct temperatureffor the next vulcanizing operation. p I

With the use of my cleaning device the vulcanizing press may be cleaned while at the vulcanizing, temperature and two men can clean the press in about two hours,after which the press is ready for further use with: out the necessity of waiting to reheat it. It will thereforebe seen that when using my cleaning device a very material saving in time will be effected thereby insuring a much greater output from the press. My cleaning device at the same time; produces a much cleaner and more smoothly. polished surface upon the platens than is possible withthe, old method of cleaning and there is a furthereconoiny in the saving of heat'for the press does not have to be first cooled and then. reheated. s

vThe cleaning device .in its preferredembodiment comprises acleaner which is adapt ed for engagement with the surface to be A cleaned, a-backing Whichis adapted for .en-i

gageinenl'v with the press other, object being-cleaned opposite the, part beingcleaned to provide. pressure, between the said part and cleaner, means for operating, the cleaner, i and means for moving the cleaning device In bodily during the cleaning operation. the present instance a .revolublev cleaner is employed and to this-end, a shaft 1 is mounted in bearings 01 frame 2 of the device. One end of this shaft as the end 3 is extended beyond the frame and has secured thereon a.

disc 4 serving as asupport for the. cleaner. In the present instance three types of clean ers are shown which maybe used; inter-- changeably as occasion requires. The type shown on the device comprises a set of knives 5 secured to aplate G whichis yieldingly secured to the supporting plate 4 by means of bolts 7 and springs 7. Instead of the knives 5, brushes 8 as shown inFig. 4, or anemery disc 9,as shown inFig. 5, may be substituted. All that isznecessary. tomake the substitution is to detach the-nuts" from bolts 7 thereby permitting the plate dearly-.

ioo

fies

11 which may conveniently be of wood, by means of a band 12 fastened to the disc by screws 13. I V

The sheet of emery cloth is stretched over a pad let made of sponge rubber or other suitable material and having a convex outer surface. The backing for the cleaner in the present instance comprises a series of dome-shaped knobs or bearings 15 secured to a plate 16 which is resiliently secured to the frame 2 by means of a series of springs 17 interposed between the plate 16 and a plate 18 forming part of the frame 2. The springs are conveniently mounted on posts 19 which extend from the domes 15 and which have their free ends passing freely through orifices in the plate 18 so that the posts may move with the plate 16 as the springs expand and contract. The plates16 and 18 are secured together by means of a series of bolts 20 secured to the upper plate 16 and projecting through the lower plate 18 in a manner to slide relatively thereto, nuts 21 being provided on these bolts to hold the two plates together at a maximum distance apart While permitting relative movement thereof.

The shaft 1 may be driven by .any desired power such for instance as an electric motor, but I have obtained satisfactory results by employing a fluid driven motor, and in the present instance I have shown a type of pneumatic rotary motor which 1s a standard motor on the market and comprises briefly a cylinder 22, a shaft 23 within the cylinder and eccentric therewith, and a single blade 24 exactly fitting across the bore of the cylinder in all positions and operating in the usual and well-known manner, an in let 25 and outlet 26 being provided for the admission and exit of the compressed air that drives the motor. The cylinder heads 27 and 28 are secured together and to the cylinder 22 by means of the tie bolts 29 one of which extends through a plate 30 of the frame 2 and a housing 31 below the plate thereby firmly securing the plate, housing and motor together. The heads 27 and 28 are extended to provide adequate bearings for the shaft 1, the upper head being secured to the plate 18 by means of the bolts 32 and the lower head being further secured to the plate 30 by means of one or more screw bolts 33 while the plate 30 and housing 31 are further secured to the plate 18 by the tie bolts 34 thereby forming a compact and rigid structure of the framework and the various parts forming the cleaning device.

The motor is connected to the cleaner by means of a pinion 35 secured to the extending end of the shaft 23 and'an intermeshing gear 36 secured on the shaft 1, the pinion and gear being mounted within the housing 31 to protect them from the scale being removed from the platen.

To move the device bodily throughout the entire area of the platen while the den ear is revolving in its cleaning operation a coinparatively long handle is provided which is pivotally secured to the ends of a band 38 which embraces the outer wall of the cyl' inder In cleaning a press for example the platens are opened a sufficient amount apart to permit the cleaning device to be placed therebetween with the cleaner in contact with the suriace of the platen to be cleaned and the backing in contact with the surface of the opposite platen and with sutiicient compression in the springs 17 to produce the required pressure between the cleaner and part being cleaned. The platens are jacked or blocked up in this spaced relation and the'cleaning device inserted. The motor is set into operation by admitting the compressed air thereto in the usual manner and the cleaner thereby caused to revolve at high speed. The handle is 'sufiiciently long so that the operators may draw the device back and forth over the entire surface of the platen as the cleaner is revolving, which operation is continued until the surface is entirely cleaned. The device is so balanced that the domes 15 distribute a uniform pressure over the cleaner, and it is of such a construction that there is no tendencv of the device becomin bound or locked between the platens. The springs 17 and 7 always provide a uniform yielding pressure permitting the operators to freely draw the device back and forth at will.

The cleaner preferably covers a width in its revolving path substantially equal to the width of the device as clearly shown in Fig. 1. This is desirable for, in the case of presses, the hydraulic rams that are employed to open and close the platens obstruct the surfaces to be cleaned and if the cleaner were not made to cover an area at least equal to the width of the device the device would strike these obstructions and the cleaner would not be able to reach and clean the surfaces entirely to these obstructions. j I

A most important feature of my invention resides in the fact that the device may be employed for the cleaning of either of the platens at will, for after one platen has been cleaned all that is necessary is to withdraw the device and to reinsert it between the platens in an inverted positions whereupon it is in readiness to clean the opposite surface. I

As many apparently widely dilferent embodiments of this invention may be made without departing from the spirit thereof, it is to be understood that I do not intend to limit myself to the specific form of the invention as set forth except as indicated in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is 1. In a device for Cleaning between opposed surfaces, a frame, opposed bearing means and cleaningmeans carried thereby, and resilient means carried by the frame adapted to project said bearing means and cleaningineans outwardly of the frame.

2. In a device for cleaning between opposed surfaces, a frame, bearing means carried thereby, frictional cleaning means carried by said frame in opposition to the bearing means, and resilient means supported by the frame operative for continuously projecting said bearing means and cleaning means outwardly of the frame.

3. In a device for cleaning between opposed surfaces, a frame, bearing means carried thereby, rotatable frictional cleaning meanscarried by the frame in opposition to said bearing means, and resilient means supported by the frame operative for continuously projecting said bearing means and cleaning means outwardly of the frame.

4. In a device for cleaning between opposed surfaces, a frame, bearing means at one side thereof, cleaning means at the opposite side thereof, sa1d cleaning means be ing operative for the full width of the frame and resilient means carried by the 7 frame for projecting said bearing means and posite side of the frame, and mechanically operatedmeans attached to the frame for actuating the cleaner.

6. In a device for cleaning between opposed surfaces, a frame, a series of abutments resiliently supported at one side of the frame, a frictional cleaner rotatable with respect to the frame resiliently supported at theoppositeside of the frame,

and means for rotating said cleaner.

Signed at Chicago, county of Cook and State of Illinois, this 2nd day of October,

'WILLIAM J. KENT. 

